


beyond the wall

by chrkrose



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Modern Westeros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrkrose/pseuds/chrkrose
Summary: 'Jaime'Brienne shakes away the thought as soon as it happens, because thinking of Jaime makes her heart skip a bit and her stomach drop, because Jaime means all the things she can’t understand, everything she doesn’t quite know the meaning to.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 17
Kudos: 107





	beyond the wall

**Author's Note:**

> I truly have no idea about biology or medicine or anything related to dead bodies so please pretend.   
> Also this was supposed to be more serious at first but then it ended up kind of funny? Or not lol.
> 
> tw: for descriptions of violence and dead bodies.
> 
> Also, there’s no twincest in this universe.

After working so long for Winterfell - for Ned and Catelyn Stark of all people - it becomes a sort of habit to check the news on what’s happening in the North. It feels like her home still, even if she has never really stayed there past the Vale, even if she was always en route somewhere, even if she spent so much time with Jaime on the Riverlands for Catelyn. 

Jaime. 

Brienne shakes away the thought as soon as it happens, because thinking of Jaime makes her heart skip a bit and her stomach drop, because  _ Jaime _ means all the things she can’t understand, everything she doesn’t quite know the meaning to. 

She drowns the thoughts of him with the headlines on her laptop screen, livestock numbers, farming, The Annual conference between The Houses of the North, trading relations with The Confederation of The Free Folk.

The last one seems shaken, something to do with the disappearance of nine hikers, funded by the University of Dreadfort, who went beyond the wall and have yet to return. 

She’s about to click on the news when her phone rings and she sees it’s her father. She picks up and an hour later, Brienne has completely forgotten about the incident with the hikers.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

It’s two weeks later when she hears about it again. It’s on the news while she eats her dinner and has a glass of wine. The hikers were found, all of them dead. The implications this will cause to The Kingdom of The North, to Winterfell, to The Confederation of The Free Folk, it’s still a question mark. 

After she washes her dishes and cleans her kitchen, she grabs her phone and googles about it.

Nine hikers, dead. Experienced, with years of practice in such an environment. The more Brienne reads about it, the less the whole story makes sense.

_ Although investigation is still ongoing, authorities have disclosed information about what they believed might have happened in the hours leading to the hikers demise. The experienced trekking group, who were all from the University of Dreadfort, had established a camp on the slopes of The Dead Mountain, near The Skirling Pass. During the night, something caused them to tear their way out of their tents and flee the campsite while inadequately dressed for the heavy snowfall and subzero temperatures. _

_ All bodies have been recovered by the rescue search party, and The Northender authorities determined that six of the hikers died from hypothermia, while the other three showed signs of physical trauma. One victim had a fractured skull; two others had major chest fractures, one body was missing both its eyes, and one was missing a tongue.  _

Brienne closes the tab and swallows heavily. An odd feeling settles on her chest, and she wonders if she should call Catelyn the next day. That night, she dreams of snow and the night sky, and shadows watching her from afar.

  
  
  
  
  


The next day she wakes up later than usual, her dream as well as her thoughts of calling Catelyn completely forgotten by the time she finishes her coffee. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

It’s another month until Brienne becomes aware of the rumors in the North. Something is happening beyond the wall, but nobody knows exactly  _ what _ . She decides to call Catelyn as soon as she has her lunch break, but when she finally does, her calls go unanswered.

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

The week after, Prime Minister Tywin Lannister finally addresses the unrest that has been slowly spreading among The United Kingdom of The Crownlands, Riverlands and Stormlands. 

Brienne hates crowds, but as soon as she read the headlines on WNC that morning, -  _ One Person Dead in King’s Landing Riots; The Queen Condemns Terror Attacks in Dorne; Prime Minister To Address Rumors About The North in Official Statement at Targaryen’s Square This Evening  _ \- she made arrangements to leave her work earlier so she could be at Targaryen’s Square a good twenty minutes earlier.

It’s cold, colder than it should be at this time of the year in King’s Landing, so she wraps her arms tightly around herself, the coat she’s using doing little to warm her. More and more people arrive, so that helps with the cold somewhat.

Soon, she spots moviment on the stage placed higher above the crowd below, and it doesn’t take long for Brienne to recognize a few of the people there. Bronn, stopping at the left corner, his eyes fixed somewhere above the thousands of heads. Addam Marbrand, the chief of the Gold Cloaks, standing at the right corner of the stage, looking around and talking quietly on the earpiece he has on him. Brienne looks around as well, and she can spot several Gold Cloaks positioned on top of buildings and houses around Targaryen’s Square.

And then Jaime steps on stage, and all of Brienne’s air leaves her lungs in a rush. 

He’s so much more beautiful than she remembers. His hair is longer now, almost touching his shoulders. Almost as long as they were when she first met him. He’s not wearing his Kingsguard uniform. Instead, his suit is all black, the tie on his neck golden and red. Today, he’s Tywin’s heir, The Golden Lion of Lannister.

Jaime scans the crowd as well, and even though she’s so far away, even though she knows he can’t see her from where she is, Brienne feels her cheeks burning. She barely notices Cersei and Tyrion stepping on stage as well, and her eyes only leave Jaime when The Prime Minister himself finally appears from behind the curtains, the Lannister banners slowly unrolling beside him from the top of the curtains while he walks towards the microphone. The crowd cheers as Tywin stops in front of the small podium installed for him, and Brienne doesn’t think she has ever seen The Lannister family presenting an united front like this before, Tywin surrounded by his children and the Lannister sigil on both sides.

Once the crowd calms down, Tywin nods once, touching the microphone briefly to be sure that it’s working properly.

Then he addresses the people of King’s Landing, as well as the millions who are probably watching on their Televisions. 

_ “Trust me when I say that fear cuts deeper than swords.”  _ He starts, and Brienne’s eyes shift once more to Jaime. He’s staring impassively ahead.  _ “But I can assure you. There is nothing to fear.”  _ The Giant Screens surrounding Targaryen's Square are focused on The Prime Minister’s face, but Brienne can’t take her eyes off of Jaime. She can see his left hand curling into a fist, even though his face shows nothing.  _ “There is  _ nothing _ beyond the wall.”  _ The Prime Minister finishes his speech, and Jaime turns his head immediately to his father. Shock, anger and then emptiness flashes and disappears from his face in a matter of seconds.

Brienne once more has the odd feeling of something heavy settling on her chest, and long after she’s back in her apartment, warm and comfortable beneath the blankets, she can’t stop thinking about why Jaime reacted the way he did. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

It’s the next day after Tywin’s speech and Brienne is on her desk, finishing a report, when Hyle clears his throat to call her attention.

_ “Tarth” _

_ “What”  _ she asks without looking up at him.

_ “Isn’t that Loras Tyrell?” _

Brienne swirls her chair faster than she should, and Hyle is right. Loras Tyrell, in Kingsguard uniform, is entering her floor on  _ HedgKnights,  _ followed by Barristan Selmy and Sandor Clegane. 

_ “Miss Tarth”  _ Loras says when he’s in front of her, a hint of a smile as well as annoyance on his tone. Ever since Renly, ever since Jaime convinced him she was innocent, there’s this weird feeling between them, as if they should hate each other, but somehow they can’t.

_ “Mr. Tyrell”  _

_ “We need you to come with us” _

Brienne furrows her brows, looking from Loras to Sandor and to Barristan standing a little behind both men. She has absolutely no idea what they could possibly want with her. There’s nothing lately she has done that got in between The Kingsguard business. She’s no longer important, not after she fulfilled what she promised to Catelyn - and to Jaime. For a brief moment she wonders what would happen if she said she wasn’t going, but they are  _ The Kingsguard.  _ She can’t simply refuse a Kingsguard order - even if it’s disguised as a request. 

_ “I… ok. Let me just finish this and-“ _

_ “Unfortunately it’s an urgent matter and we can’t wait, Miss Tarth”. _

Brienne swallows deftly before she nods, turning around to grab her purse and her phone from her desk. She looks across her table to Hyle, who’s now with his jaw on the floor watching what’s happening.

_ “Do you think you can finish the report from that last quest I made, Hyle? I’ll owe you one” _

Hyle closes his mouth and nods, but then he’s shaking his head.

_ “You can’t go. The meeting it’s in half an hour”  _

Brienne stands up, looking at Loras again before turning to Hyle one more time.

_ “I won’t be long,”  _ she says, before following the men that came for her.

Brienne tries hard to ignore the silence on her floor and all the eyes of her colleagues on her while she steps with Loras, Sandor and Barristan in the elevator.

  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

Brienne is taken to a black car, a limo to be precise. She has no idea which of the men are driving her, and she can barely see anything out there with the tinted windows.

So when the door of the car is opened and she steps outside to see that she’s in a private area of  _ The Dragonpit - King’s Landing International Airport _ , Brienne starts to feel the first signs of what she’s almost certain is a panic attack.

_ “What in seven hells…”  _ she mutters under her breath before Sandor is pushing her to walk ahead, as gentle as he can. Which coming from Sandor Clegane means he’s practically shoving her to walk to the private jet stationed in front of her.

She climbs up the stairs trying to hold her purse as well as her hair, but when she steps inside the plane, she has to comb a few strands from her face. 

And then a woman is smiling at her, her teeth a bit crooked, taking her purse and telling her to get herself comfortable. She walks towards a phone placed on the wall, picking it up and talking to what Brienne assumes is the cabin of the plane.

_ “She’s here.”  _ A moment of silence. And then “ _ Of course”  _ the woman says before hanging up.

That’s when Brienne notices neither of The Kingsguards entered the plane as well, and it seems like they won’t, as the door of the private jet is closed and Brienne feels the noise as well as the vibration of the engine starting working.

_ “Excuse me… aah.. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name” _ Brienne says to the woman.

_ “It’s Pia, Miss Tarth. Can I get you a drink? Maybe water? Or a soda? We have wine and whisky too, if you prefer.” _

_ “N-no, thank you Pia. Can you tell me where we’re going? Or what’s happening?” _ Brienne asks while she sits down in one of the seats. Suddenly her vision seems a little blurred.

_ “Ah… about that, I think… maybe it’s for the best if he explains it to you Miss Tarth” _

Right at that moment the door to the cabin is opened and Jaime steps outside, shutting it behind him.

_ “Tart”  _ he says, smiling at her, the glint in his eyes making her feel as if they are still in the Riverlands, as if it’s three years ago and not today.  _ “Pia, could you please get Brienne’s bed ready for later. I’m sure she’ll want some sleep.” _

Pia nods before walking towards another door at the back and closing it behind her, clearly leading to another section of the plane. 

_ “Ok…”  _ Jaime says, sitting at the seat in front of her.  _ “Maybe you should, hmm” _ he says, nodding to the seatbelts of her seat, but when she doesn’t move, he stands up and leans towards her, fastening it around her waist himself. When he finishes, his hand rovers awkwardly in front of her before he tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. He then goes back to his seat. 

_ “I guess by huge your eyes are right now, you’re probably in shock. Listen, why don’t you get some rest after we take off and then we talk?” _

That sobers her up.

_ “Take off? To where? Why? I have a meeting in half an hour! I can’t take off. I can’t leave King’s Landing. I have my cat! I can’t leave my cat Jaime!” _ Then she realizes she’s breathing too fast, and Jaime is up and sitting on the seat beside her in a flash, taking her hand in his.

_ “With me, Brienne. With me sweetling, a deep breath. Yeah, that’s it. 1, 2, 3. Now release it slowly. 1, 2. You’re releasing it too fast, let’s do it again. With me. 1, 2, 3. Release it. 1, 2, 3. Yeah, that’s it. Again..”  _

It's at least fifteen minutes later when she finally feels like herself again. Jaime is still holding her hand, looking at her while she breathes deeply. 

_ “You… you still remember. How to…”  _ Brienne says, motioning to what he just did. She can hardly forget the time when she had a panic attack after they were captured by Vargo Hoat, after  _ sapphires,  _ after Jaime losing his hand. She thought she was about to die, trying to breath and being quiet at the same time, trying to keep Jaime alive. She remembers leaning her head against Jaime’s back while the fever wrecked him, the floor cold beneath their bodies, and counting the time of his breathing out loud until she could match his pace with her own. Much later, days later, when he was conscious and more like himself, he asked her about it and she told him that was how she learned to get her breathing back to normal whenever she was panicking.

Right now, Jaime smiles at her, none of the sarcasm she was so used to see on him present anywhere in his face.

_ “Of course I do”.  _ He tells her. Then his smile turns into a smirk.  _ “Pod is on the bed in the back by the way. He’s been sleeping since I took him to the plane”.  _

_ “Oh” _ Brienne looks back to where Pia disappeared several minutes ago, and then she turns back to Jaime.  _ “If you had told me that first thing, we could have avoided this” _ she says. 

Jaime raises an eyebrow, seeming surprised with her little joke and Brienne feels her cheeks burning.

_ “I can’t believe this is the same Tart that couldn’t crack a joke to save her life. If you had shown this part of yourself when we were in the Riverlands, our road trip would have been much more pleasant”  _ Brienne scowls at him, and he laughs.  _ “See, this is much more like you”.  _

She rolls her eyes, but they are quiet after that. Brienne notices he’s still holding her hand, but she can’t find in herself to take her hand away. It takes another minute before she’s finally brave enough to look up at him again. When their eyes meet, Jaime drops his gaze, suddenly seeming shy at having been caught looking at her, which is very unlike the Jaime she knows.

_ “Jaime… what’s going? Why… why am I here?” _

He takes a deep breath before looking at her, and then he pours everything out. The United Kingdom of The Crownlands, Riverlands and Stormlands has lost complete contact with The Kingdom of The North and The Confederation of The Free Folks for weeks now. The Valeman Republican had sent men to The North in hopes of figuring out what has been going on and none of them have returned. Snow has been falling in Riverrun for the first time in 300 years.

He tells her that his father had told him he would address these concerns in his speech and warn the population, as well as trying to prepare The United Kingdoms for a massive lockdown so people could be safe while they were trying to understand what might be happening. 

_ “And then yesterday… after the speech, one of my contacts finally returned to me about some info I asked for him. Those nine hikers that first disappeared… he got a hold of their autopsies. Brienne, six of them were completely frozen. They were like ice popsicles, as if they had stayed exposed for at least two hundred years to a weather much much colder than the one they have even beyond the wall. The other three, they had massive fractures inside their bodies, as if they were in a car crash of some kind... but their skin were untouched, they had no bruises that indicated any sort of violent conflict besides the missing tongue and eyes, which happened because some animal feasted on their bodies after they were already dead. It was as if whatever killed them, whatever force fell upon them… it was as if it happened from the inside out.” _

Brienne stares wide eyed at him, her brain going a thousand miles per hour. Remembering when she first heard something was going on. Remembering how Catelyn hasn’t picked up or returned her calls. All the theories she read, and thousands of people dismissing it.

And most of them didn’t even know what she knows right now.

_ “My father is keeping the whole country in the dark. My sister supports him. So Tyrion and I, we came up with a plan. We’ll take all the people we care about to somewhere safe, and then we go back to deal with whatever is happening. He has the brain and I have the resources to go after the truth. We’ll make the country aware of what my father isn’t telling them” _

_ “You’ll betray your father?” _

_ “Yes”  _ he says, a fact. Brienne realizes it’s a decision long made.

_ “Jaime, he will never forget that. Or forgive.” _

_ “I know. Which is why I’m making sure he has nobody he can hurt to use against me” _

Brienne swallows, her eyes dropping to their hands, still joined.

_ “Who.. w-who else are you taking with you? Besides me, I mean”  _

Jaime doesn’t answer her and when she finally lifts her eyes to look at him, she can barely hold the intensity of his gaze.

_ “Tart, there’s no one else”  _

She gasps at that, and he seems embarrassed once more, dropping her gaze and looking at the seat in front of them. Then he smiles, amused, and looks at her again, all embarrassment forgotten.

_ “Actually, there’s your father. The plane took off from Tarth this morning and he’s probably already on Sweet Lotus Vale at The Summer Isles. I was told he asked way less questions than you did”  _

Brienne doesn’t have a mind of rolling his eyes or scowling at him right now, not after everything he just said to her. She takes a deep breath before she leans into him, kissing him lightly on the cheek. When she leans back, he seems startled, looking at her with wide eyes.

_ “What was that for?” _

Brienne feels her cheeks flushing crimson red.

_ “You know… like the songs… when a knight…”  _ she trails off, not knowing how to finish the thought that she sees him like a knight. Her knight. Coming to her rescue. 

Jaime groans and drops her hand, and for a moment she thinks she did something terribly wrong, but then he’s lifting the armchair that separates their seat, his hand unfastening her seatbelt while his prosthetic one finds the slight curve of her waist. Then his hand is free and he cups her cheek briefly before sliding his palm and fingers into her hair, pulling her face to his until his lips land on hers.

It’s not a chaste kiss. Not a chaste kiss at all. He takes her bottom lip between his own, and bites on it gently to make her gasp, to coax her mouth open so his tongue can slide between her lips and taste her own. Brienne can’t help the noises she’s making while he pulls her more and more to him until she’s practically on his lap. 

That’s when she realizes something.

_ “Hmf.. wait…”  _ she says, breaking the kiss. Jaime stares at her, his breathing heavy.  _ “What did you mean with taking me somewhere safe and then coming back to King’s Landing? I’m coming back with you”  _

Jaime groans a second time, resting his forehead against her own.

_ “Tart. Let’s argue about that later on”  _ then he kisses her again, deeply, with so much pent up longing that Brienne feels herself burning hot for him. He wraps his arm around her waist, his hand now on her leg, dragging it across his lap until she’s really  _ very close  _ to be on his lap. Brienne tangles her hands in his hair, considering actually straddling him, but a noise coming from the back of the plan clears her head and she breaks the kiss again, putting her leg back on the ground.

_ “Jaime, no. If you go back, I’ll go back”. _

_ “Seven hells, stop being so damn stubborn. You said yourself. My father won’t ever forget or forgive me. He  _ will  _ use you against me. I won’t have that” _

_ “We’ll think about a plan so that won’t happen then” _

_ “Brienne, no. I’m not taking any chances”. _

_ “Jaime, I will  _ not  _ stay behind while you go back to Westeros. I will  _ not…” but then she trails off, losing the ability to speak while she stares outside the window of the plane. 

_ “Brienne?”  _ Jaime asks. She clutches his shoulder, pointing a freckled finger to the window. Jaime turns around, to look at what she’s showing him.

And then he sees it too.

A huge black  _ thing,  _ so much bigger than their plane, flying beside them in the sky.

_ “Is that… is that a  _ fucking _ dragon _ ?!” Jaime half says half yells. 

At that moment the dragon's eyes look towards the plane, as if he’s staring through the window at Jaime and Brienne. As if he heard what Jaime said.

And then he turns direction, flying up instead of ahead, and neither Jaime or Brienne can see it anymore.

Instead, they feel the moment the dragon’s claw clutch the plane from above and the last thing Brienne remembers is Jaime’s arms wrapping around her as the world goes dark.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> They don’t die, I swear. In my mind they survive the crash (the plane falls on the sea, in The Gullet, a little bit after Driftmark) and even Pod the cat is saved. They are rescued and taken to Dragonstone. 
> 
> I don’t claim to know what’s happening in Westeros, I really don’t. The idea for this one shot comes from this trailer (I wish this was a real show): https://youtu.be/H9U-rhVp1CQ
> 
> Also, the story about the nine hikers is actually based on a real story, one of my favorite mysteries of all times: Dyatlov Pass. Whoever wants to talk about it with me in length feel free to leave a comment or message me on tumblr because seriously, I can spend DAYS talking about it.


End file.
